Adulteration of Food in Pakistan and steps to prevent food adulteration

Food Adulteration:

In our country adulteration has become a curse for the society. No one can defend it. There is hardly any food product which is not adulterated. The shopkeepers and the merchants try to earn a large amount of profit by this unethical practice.

In this way, they play with the life and health of the people. They mix inferior and dangerous things in the daily eatable things. Nothing is now safe at their hands. Even the medicines and drugs are adulterated. We do not get petrol, atta, ghee, oil, salt, and milk free from impurity. These merchants and traders are the enemy of the nation. They should know that our religion Islam has hatred for those who indulge in this immoral business. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said " The adulterators are not one of us". We give the following proposals to overcome this social evil.

1. The adulterators should be punished severely.

2. An anti adulteration drive should be started in the country.

The mass media should be used to highlight the names of adultertators. 

Current Situation of Food Adulteration:

The complicity of the Food Department officials is contributing to the proliferation of adulterated food items in the metropolitan, source claim. Majority of the adulterated products are sold at small shops, small restaurants and hotels and by roadside vendors because of their high profit margin. 

Sources claim that adulterators are not scared of any legal or punitive action due to various loopholes in the existing laws, while those arrested or fined are quickly released on bail.

Price hike in daily-use items, increase in demand and the practice of associating certain edible items with socials status also encourage the adulterators to market their products.

Effects on Health:

     Food adulteration can cause immediate effect on human health. Diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting are such type of effects. Tamarind and date seed powder mixed with coffee powder can cause diarrhea. Adulteration on bakery items and dairy products may have tremendous effects on a child’s health. Such as cream-filled foods, cereal, cream sauces causes increased salivation, abdominal cramp, vomiting, prostration etc. Improperly processed milk and canned meat may cause food poisoning and abdominal pain. Vegetables and fish mixed with formalin and other type of chemicals which are used to keep the food fresh are injurious to health. Unhygienic meat and meat products can cause food infection usually with fever and chills. These are the immediate effect of food adulteration on public health.

There are also many long term effects of food adulteration besides immediate effect. A research shows that adulterated Chinese food may be an interrupt to a child’s mental development.

Prevention of food Adulteration:

Some steps should be taken by people so, they can enjoy a healthful life;

The step is that people should chart out their time table in festive season; to manage out time to prepare sweets at home and should not buy ready-made adulterated food. Because, food aduterators would be not able to sell their adulterated food; when there will be no demand for them.

other step should be taken by Government;

Yes, second step Government need to take; to stop food adulterators, from making such adulterated food; by making some strong law, which penalize the food adulterator. And, Government should run food inspection in shops, to check and stop food adulteration; so that no food adulterators do the food adulteration. And, if anybody, found red handed doing food adulteration; then, that person should be given punishment, for his crime of food adulteration. It would be warning for those, who are not caught red handed.